Cleveland Browns' draft pick Pierre Desir has battled obstacles most of his life

Nothing, absolutely nothing, Pierre Desir goes through as a rookie with the Browns can match the difficulties and challenges he has already experienced.
The fourth-round cornerback was born in Haiti and immigrated to the United States with his family when he was 4 years old. He got his girlfriend and future wife pregnant when he was 15. That was a low point — at the time, anyway — but not the lowest. Fatherhood turned into a blessing.
Desir excelled in football as a receiver and defensive back and was a B student in high school, but he scored poorly on the ACT test and could not get into a Division I college. That was another low point.
Desir was given a scholarship to play at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, 290 miles from his home in St, Charles, Missouri. Being separated from his girlfriend Morgan and toddler daughter Keeli was another low point – not the lowest, but getting close.
Desir wanted to leave Washburn to attend Lindenwood, a college closer to home, but the Washburn coach, Craig Shurig, would not release him from his scholarship. That meant Desir could not be on scholarship at Lindenwood for a year, and that meant Desir had to take odd jobs with a temp agency to support his family.
Now we get to the worst part.
“They were long days,” Desir said on May 17 after a minicamp practice. “They started at 5 a.m. and ended at 10 or 11 at night. I worked, went to school, went to football practice. Worked minimum wage temp jobs, hard-labor jobs. I did whatever I had to do to pay for school and provide for my family.
“During flood season in Missouri, we were in an apartment complex. Excuse my French, but I had to clean human feces. I had to take out furniture, clean out the water. They gave us knee-high boots, but the water was knee level. That was the worst one. Got $40 out of it, but I did it. I look back at it. It’s not something I want to do again.”
Those days are long gone, but not forgotten. It would likely take an injury to Joe Haden or rookie Justin Gilbert for Desir to start, but he could push Buster Skrine to be the nickel back. The Browns like their cornerbacks big, and Desir fits the bill at 6-foot-1, 198 pounds.
“I’ve had to work hard to continue to get to where I am today and I’m going to continue to do that,” Desir said. “I’ve had to play with a chip on my shoulder just because I’m from a small school. I’m going to keep carrying that with me throughout my NFL career.”
There are enough chips on shoulders in the Browns locker room to start a bonfire, but for Desir the burden is real. He said when he stepped into the locker room in Berea for the first time he took a picture of his name above his locker.
“I think that when you have a guy from a small school and the cards are stacked against him, one thing you do look for are those ‘make it’ intangibles or reasons why you would think that if we take a shot on this guy, this guy will succeed,” Browns scout Chisom Opara said. “This kid seems like he’s wired the right way for success. If you’re going to take a shot on a guy from a small school, it kind of gives you a little more confidence that something is going to pan out.”
Desir and Morgan are now married. Daughters Keeli, Kamryn and Morgan are back home in St. Charles, but this is different than when Pierre was stuck in Washburn. Now the light at the end of the tunnel is a job in the NFL. No more $40-a-day jobs. If Desir makes the Browns’ 53-man roster, his family can relocate to Northeast Ohio.
“Being married, I had to mature a lot faster than my peers,” Desir said. “I had set goals and responsibilities. I didn’t have time for extra activities. Everything was down to a set schedule. (Coaches) appreciate knowing I’m going to stick to the schedule and handle my responsibilities.”
If the scouting report by Ron Rang of CBS Sports proves accurate, the Browns got a steal in Desir.
“Compares to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Denver Broncos,” Rang wrote. “Like DRC, Desir possesses intriguing size, athleticism and ball-skills. With improved physicality — especially in run support — Desir could emerge as a legitimate NFL starter.”
Desir intercepted 25 passes during his years at Washburn and Lindenwood.
Coach hired
The Browns hired Aaron Glenn as assistant defensive backs coach, head coach Mike Pettine announced on May 18.
“Aaron Glenn fits the mold of what we are looking for to lead our players,” Pettine said in a statement. “He’s passionate, knowledgeable and relentless. His NFL experience and production, 205 games and 41 interceptions, gives him instant credibility in the room.”
This is Glenn’s first coaching job following 15 seasons as a player and two years as a scout. He spent the past two seasons in the Jets’ front office, serving as a college area scout in 2013 after one season as a pro personnel scout.
Selected 12th overall in the first round by the Jets in 1994, Glenn started 176 of his 205 NFL games. The three-time Pro Bowler spent time with five teams: The Jets (1994-2001), Houston (2002-04), Dallas (2005-06), Jacksonville (2007) and New Orleans (2008). Glenn recorded 661 career tackles, 41 interceptions and 167 passes defended. He scored eight touchdowns, including six interception returns, a 96-yard kickoff return and a 104-yard return on a missed field goal.

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About the Author

Jeff has covered the Cleveland Browns since 1981. He also covers the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League and the Cleveland Gladiators in the Arena Football League. Reach the author at jschudel@news-herald.com
or follow Jeff on Twitter: @jsbrownsinsider.